Skip to content

Top Navigation

Southern Living Southern Living
  • Food and Recipes
  • Culture and Lifestyle
  • Style
  • Holidays & Occasions
  • Home
  • Gardening Ideas
  • News
  • Video

Profile Menu

Your Account

Account

  • Join Now
  • Email Preferences
  • Newsletters
  • Manage Your Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Logout

More

  • Give a Gift Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Southern Living Books this link opens in a new tab
Login
Subscribe
Pin FB

Explore Southern Living

Southern Living Southern Living
  • Explore

    Explore

    • The Best New Haircuts to Try in 2022

      The Best New Haircuts to Try in 2022

      Here are the haircuts you'll be seeing everywhere this year. Read More
    • How To Season A Cast-Iron Skillet

      How To Season A Cast-Iron Skillet

      Learn how to season this Southern kitchen staple in five easy steps. Read More
    • 50 Thoughtful Messages for a Meaningful Thank You Note

      50 Thoughtful Messages for a Meaningful Thank You Note

      Not sure what to write in a thank you card? Here's how to show your gratitude with a handwritten note. Read More
  • Food and Recipes

    Food and Recipes

    See All Food and Recipes
    4 Easy Ways to Tell if an Egg Has Gone Bad

    4 Easy Ways to Tell if an Egg Has Gone Bad

    It’s not all in the senses, but they sure can help.
    • Recipes
    • Quick and Easy Dinner
    • Kitchen Assistant
    • Casserole
    • Holiday and Occasion Food
    • Slow Cooker Recipes
    • Desserts
    • Healthy and Light
    • Side Dishes
    • Party Food and Drink
    • Appetizers
    • Meat
    • Breakfast
    • BBQ
    • Drinks
    • What's Cooking
  • Culture and Lifestyle

    Culture and Lifestyle

    See All Culture and Lifestyle
    70 Cute and Funny Nicknames For Your Best Friends

    70 Cute and Funny Nicknames For Your Best Friends

    Let your besties know how much they mean to you with these unique nicknames.
    • Quotes and Sayings
    • Biscuits and Jam Podcast
    • Travel
    • Pets
    • Healthy Living
    • Coastal Living
  • Style

    Style

    See All Style
    The Coziest Winter Nail Colors for January 2022

    The Coziest Winter Nail Colors for January 2022

    The beginning of a new year often has us all feeling like starting off fresh by taking on better habits, getting rid of old ones, and—most commonly—changing up our look. While others are hitting the squats and going into the salon for a pixie cut, why not start slow and steady with a cozy winter manicure in a color that feels new to you? It takes only a little courage to step outside your usual OPI Lincoln Park After Dark or Essie Bordeaux, which is all you need to kick 2022 off on a fanciful foot.  From new wintry takes on classic dark nail colors to unique pops of color that'll have you feeling the opposite of boring, these are the best nail colors to try this January and tick off all the way into spring. 
    • Beauty
    • Hair
    • Fashion
    • Short Hairstyles
    • Nails
    • Medium Hairstyles
    • Skincare
    • Long Hairstyles
  • Holidays & Occasions

    Holidays & Occasions

    See All Holidays & Occasions
    • Thanksgiving
    • Gifts
    • Christmas
    • Mother's Day
    • Hanukkah
    • New Year's
    • Easter
    • Mardi Gras
    • 4th of July
    • Weddings
  • Home

    Home

    See All Home
    16 Kitchen Design Trends Southern Designers Predict Will Be Everywhere in 2022

    16 Kitchen Design Trends Southern Designers Predict Will Be Everywhere in 2022

    There's no denying how the pandemic fundamentally changed the world—including how we live (and work) inside our homes. An overall trend toward celebrating the history and originality of our homes is displacing ultramodern aesthetics and sharp lines as we all look to create cozier, colorful, more personalized spaces that better suit our lifestyles. We're turning away from big-box stores and toward vintage items—first, out of necessity due to supply-chain issues, and now, for design reasons—to add charm and character to every room in the house, including the kitchen. Here, interior designers from around the South share their predictions for what's trending in kitchen design for 2022 and beyond.
    • Home Decor Ideas
    • Idea Houses
    • Kitchen Design
    • Before & After Photos
    • Bathroom Design
    • Curb Appeal
    • Bedroom Design
    • DIY Home Decor
    • Color Palettes & Paint
    • House Plans & Builders
    • Inspired Communities
  • Gardening Ideas

    Gardening Ideas

    See All Gardening Ideas
    If You Keep Finding Ladybugs in Your House, Here's What You Need to Know

    If You Keep Finding Ladybugs in Your House, Here's What You Need to Know

    Plus a few strategies for keeping them out-of-doors
    • Container Gardening
    • Gardening Flowers
    • Fruit, Vegetable & Herb Gardens
    • Garden Pests
    • Plant Guides A-Z
    • Indoor Plants
    • Fall Plants
    • Landscaping Ideas
    • The Grumpy Gardener
  • News

    News

    See All News
    • Celebrities
    • Local News
  • Video

Profile Menu

Subscribe this link opens in a new tab
Your Account

Account

  • Join Now
  • Email Preferences
  • Newsletters
  • Manage Your Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Logout

More

  • Give a Gift Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Southern Living Books this link opens in a new tab
Login
Sweepstakes

Follow Us

  1. Southern Living
  2. Home
  3. Home Organization
  4. The Classic Cleaning Products That Mama Swore By—And Now We Do Too

The Classic Cleaning Products That Mama Swore By—And Now We Do Too

Southern Living May 2021 Cover
By Southern Living Editors
Each product we feature has been independently selected and reviewed by our editorial team. If you make a purchase using the links included, we may earn commission.
Skip gallery slides
FB
Cleaning Products
Credit: Getty/Janine Lamontagne

Mama knows a thing or two about how to scrub years of wear and tear off of a sheet pan. She knows how to get a tarnished silver tray sparkling like it's straight out of the bridal registry box. And that stinky laundry that you've run three times and keep forgetting to move over to the dryer? Don't you worry, Mama's got that covered too. Grab a pair of yellow rubber gloves, your most trustworthy bucket and brush, and let's get to cleaning the way Mama taught us. We've tapped into a few of her favorite household cleaning products, most of which you can still get your hands on today. Now, Mama's infamous elbow grease? As she always says, practice makes perfect.

Start Slideshow

1 of 5

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message Print

Borax

Borax
Credit: Walmart

If you've never stripped towels and sheets, give it a try—just be sure to grab the popcorn and a few of the best cleaning products out there. Start by filling a large bucket with hot water and a 1 to 1 to 2 ratio of borax, washing soda, and detergent. Throw in your linens and let them soak for four hours, stirring occasionally. All the nasty dirt and grime that's been living on your towels and sheets will have settled to the bottom by the time you're finished. Run the stripped items through the washing machine on a water-only cycle to rinse away any remaining dirt, debris, or cleaning solution.

Uses: Mold and mildew, bugs, stains, residue, and odors are no match for a little borax.

Buy It: 20 Mule Team Borax Detergent Booster & Multi-Purpose Household Cleaner, $4.47; walmart.com

1 of 5

Advertisement
Advertisement

2 of 5

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message Print

Bar Keepers Friend

Bar Keepers Friend
Credit: Target

There's not a pot, pan, or oven that can't get a fairy godmother-like makeover with a dash of Bar Keepers. Even those pans that have seen one too many Thanksgiving disasters and are collecting dust in cabinet corners unknown can see a transformation well worth the effort.

Uses: Keep your sink sparkling (or finally get it that way); remove the toughest stains, stuck-on grime, and even rust.

Buy It: Bar Keepers Friend Powdered Cleanser, $1.99; target.com

2 of 5

3 of 5

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message Print

Baking Soda

Arm and Hammer Baking Soda
Credit: Target

No list of the best cleaning products for your home is complete without a little baking soda. Mama came over once and noticed there was no box of baking soda in the fridge. Shame. Mama knows that stinky fridges and freezers, grime-covered cooktops, and slow-draining sinks all can benefit from this household do-it-all.

Uses: Sprinkle on a wet sponge to clean stovetops, grout, and tile. It can also be used as a way to freshen up drains or eliminate clogs. Arm & Hammer offers step-by-step instructions for how to use their baking soda for deodorizing a trash can and cleaning a garbage disposal.

Buy It: Arm & Hammer Pure Baking Soda, $2.29; target.com

3 of 5

Advertisement

4 of 5

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message Print

Vinegar

Cleaning Vinegar
Credit: Target

If you're not using cleaning vinegar to clean just about every large appliance you own, let us introduce you to some of the most gratifying (albeit tedious) tasks around. Hello, weekend plans. A cup of vinegar is the secret ingredient behind your cleanest washing machine ever.

Uses: Clean coffee makers, washing machines, walls, windows, doors. A couple tablespoons of distilled white vinegar can also keep cut flowers fresh.

Buy It: Smartly Cleaning Vinegar, $2.69; target.com

4 of 5

5 of 5

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message Print

Castile Soap

Castille Soap
Credit: Amazon

This natural soap is plant-based and gentle enough for using throughout your home, including on marble countertops and just about any type of flooring. You can also use it as a fruit and veggie rinse or dog shampoo. For the proper dilution formulas, refer to Dr. Bronner's Pure-Castile Soap Dilutions Cheat Sheet.

Uses: Use as a face wash, body wash, produce wash, laundry soap, and all-purpose cleaning solution.

Buy It: Dr. Bronner's Hemp Peppermint Pure Castile Soap, $33.20/pack of 2; amazon.com

5 of 5

Replay gallery

Share the Gallery

Pinterest Facebook

Up Next

By Southern Living Editors

    Share the Gallery

    Pinterest Facebook
    Trending Videos
    Advertisement
    Skip slide summaries

    Everything in This Slideshow

    Advertisement

    View All

    1 of 5 Borax
    2 of 5 Bar Keepers Friend
    3 of 5 Baking Soda
    4 of 5 Vinegar
    5 of 5 Castile Soap

    Share & More

    Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message Print
    Southern Living

    Magazines & More

    Learn More

    • About Us
    • Subscribe this link opens in a new tab
    • Books from Southern Living
    • Contact Us
    • Advertise
    • Content Licensing this link opens in a new tab
    • Accolades this link opens in a new tab

    Connect

    Follow Us
    Subscribe to Our Newsletter
    MeredithSouthern Living is part of the Meredith Home Group. © Copyright 2022 Meredith Corporation. Southern Living is a registered trademark of Meredith Corporationthis link opens in a new tab All Rights Reserved. Southern Living may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice. Privacy Policythis link opens in a new tab Terms of Servicethis link opens in a new tab Ad Choicesthis link opens in a new tab California Do Not Sellthis link opens a modal window Web Accessibilitythis link opens in a new tab
    © Copyright Southern Living. All rights reserved. Printed from https://www.southernliving.com

    Sign in

    View image

    The Classic Cleaning Products That Mama Swore By—And Now We Do Too
    this link is to an external site that may or may not meet accessibility guidelines.